Naval Aviation's flight mishap (FM) rate has declined substantially--halving each decade over the past 50 years. However, the proportion of FMs due to human error has stayed relatively constant at about 80%. Over the past few years, much attention has been paid to understanding aircrew and maintenance errors in complex systems, including issues relating to faulty human engineering, poor judgment, and more recently, breakdowns in communication and coordination. In 1996, a Human Factors Quality Management Board (HFQMB) was established to analyze and recommend improvements to processes, programs, and systems that affect human performance with the purpose of reducing the aviation mishap rate. One outgrowth of the HFQMB was the development of two organizational climate assessment surveys: (1) the Command Safety Assessment (CSA) survey which assesses an organization's operational practices from a safety perspective, and (2) the Maintenance Climate Assessment Survey (MCAS) which assesses an organization's maintenance practices from a safety perspective.

The CSA focuses on key organizational issues that relate to a command's influence on the chain of events leading to an aircraft mishap. It was developed using the framework for high reliability organizations (HROs) that operate in high-risk environments, but have fewer failures than would be predicted. The CSA survey is an on-line diagnostic tool designed for aircrew participants. The survey takes approximately 15 minutes (per participant) to complete. Results of your unit's survey are available ONLY to your Commanding Officer (CO) via a password protected web interface. Your unit's results are also combined with other organizations that take the survey. Aggregate results are available on-line to your CO and other COs to use for comparison (e.g., between or across type aircraft, communities, coasts, etc.). The power of this survey instrument lies in the ability of the CO to compare your unit's results, item by item, with others' results. An individual's survey results, including demographic data, are anonymous.

The MCAS focuses on key maintenance issues that relate to a command's influence on the chain of events leading to an aircraft mishap. Similar to the CSA survey, the MCAS survey instrument was developed using an HRO framework. The MCAS survey is an on-line diagnostic tool designed for maintenance personnel participants. Like the CSA survey, it takes approximately 15 minutes (per participant) to complete. Results are available only to your unit's CO via a password protected web interface. Aggregate results are available on-line to your CO and other COs to use for comparison. An individual's survey results, including demographic data, are anonymous. Here's an example of how one squadron used its results in an internal stand-down.

COs desiring their units to take the CSA survey and/or MCAS survey should have their ASO register for the survey process at the survey website, www.safetyclimatesurveys.org. Registration can be performed by selecting menu option #4, "SET-UP UNIT SURVEY". The ASO must identify the number of participants who will take the surveys (remember: the CSA survey is for aircrew and the MCAS survey is for maintainers). The ASO supervises the survey process at the unit level. When the unit has achieved maximum participation, the ASO should notify Bob Figlock, Mike Schimpf, or Don Lawson at 888-603-3170- they will then contact the CO to provide a debrief of the survey results. COs will be provided the access codes which enable them to review the unit's survey data on-line, as well as compare the unit's results with other similar/different aircraft communities, coasts, etc. The Command Safety Climate Assessment Survey website can be viewed at: www.safetyclimatesurveys.org.

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